Imran Khan calls Pakistan's Taliban a 'terrorist' group

In a wide-ranging interview, the politician responds to critics who say he supports "extremism".

Pakistan's Imran Khan has been described by some critics as "Taliban Khan", with claims he is too soft on the armed group. An accusation that Khan vehemently denies. The politician and former cricket star tells Mehdi Hasan in this week's Headliner that it is "absolute nonsense" that he supports "extremism".

When asked if he believes the Taliban is a "terrorist group", Khan responds, "Yes, they are. Anyone who kills innocent people are terrorists."

In a wide-ranging interview, we also speak to Khan about allegations that Darul Uloom Haqqania, a university his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has funded, is a breeding ground for "extremism". He denies this, and adds: "If it was a university for jihad, it should have been shut down."

More from Mehdi Hasan's interview with Imran Khan, in which they discuss women's rights in Pakistan, will be available on July 30 at 19:30 GMT.